Can you believe it: we've reached the end of the 2025-2026 college basketball regular season!
The ACC Tournament is now just a few days away, but there's still business to take care of on Saturday night in Durham. Just a few weeks after Seth Trimble's incredible buzzer-beater to stun Duke in Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels head down Tobacco Road in hopes of completing the regular-season sweep.
Duke, on the other hand, has a lot of motivation heading into the regular season finale.
While all of our stress levels absolutely love when these two heated rivals compete against one another, it's important to note that we are potentially on a collision course for them to play for a third time this season, less than a week after Saturday night's bout.
If Duke, the No. 1 seed, and North Carolina, the No. 4 seed, win their Thursday quarterfinal matchup in the ACC Tournament, the two historic programs will square off on Friday night with a trip to the tournament finals on the line.
Following the devastating Caleb Wilson injury news, North Carolina will have to fully embrace the "next man up" mentality to fill the void.
2025-2026 Season
No. 17 North Carolina Tar Heels
Overall record: 24-6
Conference Record: 12-5
Home Record: 18-0
Away Record: 4-5
Neutral Site Record: 2-1
Top-25 Wins: 4
No. 1 Duke Blue Devils
Overall record: 28-2
Conference Record: 16-1
Home Record: 14-0
Away Record: 10-1
Neutral Site Record: 4-1
Key Players
North Carolina
Caleb Wilson (Fr. Forward)- 20.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists
Henri Veesaar (Jr. Center)- 16.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists
Seth Trimble (Sr. Guard)- 14.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists
Luka Bogavac (Jr. Guard)- 10.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists
Hubert Davis leaves the door open for Caleb Wilson to make a stunning UNC return at Duke
Duke
Cameron Boozer (Fr. Forward)-22.6 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists
Isaiah Evans (So. Guard)- 14.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Patrick Ngongba (So. Center)- 10.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists
Something to Watch For
Without Caleb Wilson, can UNC assert itself in the paint as much as it did in the first meeting?
The Tar Heels desperately need to stay out of foul trouble, something Duke couldn't avoid in Chapel Hill. If North Carolina experiences early foul trouble, it could lead to a huge momentum boost for the Blue Devils.
Projected Starters
No. 3- Derek Dixon
No. 7- Seth Trimble
No. 13 Henri Veesaar
No. 15- Jarin Stevenson
No. 44- Luka Bogavac